


Where I'd Rather Be

by GENM (ERASAMA)



Category: Kamen Rider - All Media Types, Kamen Rider Ex-Aid
Genre: Heart-to-Heart, M/M, Slightly non-compliant to canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-19
Updated: 2021-02-19
Packaged: 2021-03-15 11:01:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,489
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29558112
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ERASAMA/pseuds/GENM
Summary: Haven't written anything in a while, decided to work on other pairs. This work is dedicated to those who enjoy Hanaya Taiga/Kagami Hiiro. I hope you enjoy it.Disclaimer: It strays from canon events, I don't remember how the post-operation scene was like, but I wanted to play with the idea of a heart-to-heart moment between the two of them. I also wanted to play with the idea of Kiriya talking to Hiiro when they were working under Masamune.EDIT: 02/24/2021I noticed a writing error and repaired it.
Relationships: Hanaya Taiga/Kagami Hiiro, Houjou Emu & Hanaya Taiga, Kagami Hiiro & Kujo Kiriya
Comments: 6
Kudos: 7





	Where I'd Rather Be

**Author's Note:**

> Haven't written anything in a while, decided to work on other pairs. This work is dedicated to those who enjoy Hanaya Taiga/Kagami Hiiro. I hope you enjoy it.
> 
> Disclaimer: It strays from canon events, I don't remember how the post-operation scene was like, but I wanted to play with the idea of a heart-to-heart moment between the two of them. I also wanted to play with the idea of Kiriya talking to Hiiro when they were working under Masamune.
> 
> EDIT: 02/24/2021  
> I noticed a writing error and repaired it.

Hiiro Kagami turned himself away from his former comrades, all for the sake of retrieving a lost loved one.

Neither Hojo Emu nor Poppy Pipopapo could understand this decision, but Hanaya Taiga did. He understood more than anyone else did. When Emu tried to stop his friend from turning his allegiance to Dan Masamune’s side, Taiga stepped in.

“You’ll never understand,” the man who was once a radiologist spoke, the tone in his voice shook slightly, but he held his ground, “You’ll never understand what he’s going through.”

The intern pried his eyes away from Hiiro who walked off into the distance, he turned his gaze towards Taiga; tears welled up in his eyes as he felt the weight of Taiga’s words sink in.

It’s true that he didn’t fully understand how Hiiro felt, but Taiga’s words were more than enough to stop him from pursuing someone whose goals were beyond his comprehension.

"Taiga..." The intern could feel the other man's grip on him soften, the expression on his face shifted.

Hanaya Taiga had always been a stern and serious man, often rock-solid and unmovable,

but at that moment, perhaps the heart that was frozen over started to melt at the thought of caring for someone who seemed so far away, caring for someone who seemed to hate him.

"Let's go back," Taiga's grip on the intern tightened slightly before he let go, his hand hiding away in the pocket of his long coat, balling into a fist, "Let's go back to CR for now."

His fingernails dug into the flesh of his palm, wanting to distract himself from unnecessary feelings in order to focus on the task at hand.

* * *

"So," Hiiro Kagami sat across from a familiar face, the fox-like eyes of the other were hidden behind dark, circular sunglasses, "You've been resurrected?"

"It's surprising to see you here," Kujo Kiriya sat on the backrest of the dark, leather recliner, his feet resting upon the armrests of the expensive chair that he seemed to have no regard for, "It's nice to see a familiar face, though," his sunglasses lowered slightly, the brown eyes of a keen man struck Hiiro with such mystery.

The surgeon wondered why Kiriya was even here, and why he was working for Masamune. But the thought didn't linger too long, he had his own goal in mind.

"I have my reasons," the surgeon spoke.

"So it seems," Kiriya had a relaxed posture as always, but his lax nature put up a good front for his perceptiveness. The look on the surgeon's face was obvious to him, the sober lamenting in Kagami Hiiro's eyes made Kiriya wonder if this was really what Hiiro wanted to do.

He knew the stakes, and the kind of man Dan Masamune was; it made the coroner worry if Hiiro even knew what he was doing, or if the one who often stood behind his word of keeping personal feelings out of his job was being guided by his heart.

In the end, Kiriya said nothing.

Better to keep his mouth shut than to say anything upsetting, right?

* * *

This was important to Hiiro, to bring Saki back, to bring her smile back, to tell her all the things he failed to tell her. To just say sorry for not being there for her all the way through.

The surgeon finds himself at yet another fork in the road.

Isn't it silly, how tragedy finds him wherever he goes?

In front of him was a choice.

"The moon tonight is bright," Dan Masamune smiled, watching as the city was enveloped by the night, "You'll fail the surgery on purpose, and then you'll receive your reward."

In front of him was a choice.

"He's going to fail the surgery on purpose!" The girl who stuck by Hanaya Taiga's side like a sister cried out in distress, and everyone else in the room stared at him.

In front of him, there was never a choice. 

In front of him, there was a path he needed to continue down; and at this moment, he knew what he needed to do.

He didn't need someone else to tell him what to do in order to achieve his happiness, he didn't need someone else to tell him what to do to bring back the smile of someone he loved and cared about.

For his loved one's final wish, and for the one who he shares the same feelings with, for the sake of being the best doctor in the world,

for Kagami Hiiro,

_There is nothing I cannot cut._

* * *

The sunlight shone through the blinds. Hanaya Taiga was no stranger to the warmth of the sun, but this time, it felt different.

"He's awake," Emu smiled, exhaling a relieved sigh.

Poppy smiled, Nico smiled, Kiriya smiled, Hiiro

stopped holding his breath. The beating of his heart wouldn't slow.

He thought that once Taiga had woken up, he’d feel a lot calmer, but why wasn’t he? 

There was a feeling of tension in the air as Taiga slowly turned his head, looking past Nico, Emu and Poppy who huddled around him; his gaze met with his surgeon’s.

Blanketed by the morning light, to Hiiro, Taiga looked beautiful. Somewhat beat up, yet still, beautiful.

Suddenly, Hiiro felt a pair of hands on his shoulders. Kiriya, who stood next to him, pushed him over to the hospital bed to meet his patient.

“Look who’s getting all shy,” Kiriya chuckled, the group of onlookers moving out of the way for Hiiro to meet Taiga.

“... I’m not ‘getting all shy’,” Hiiro’s posture betrayed his words, he averts his eyes from Taiga’s in an attempt to feel less awkward,

but once everyone else was leaving the room to give the two men some space, he knew this moment was one he just could not run away from.

Hiiro took one last look at Kiriya who followed behind Poppy as he was about to leave the room. Kiriya looked back with a knowing nod and a cheeky wink.

Hiiro turned his attention back at his patient, who seemed to have been staring at him for a while now.

It felt like an eternity of silent staring at each other, Hiiro couldn't bring himself to pry his attention away from Taiga whose beauty was amplified by the glimmering sunlight. 

"Is there something on my face?" A raspy voice came from Taiga who was still recovering from his surgery, his gaze was soft and alluring.

The often stoic surgeon was stunned by the other man's radiance.

"I... No, it's just..." Hiiro stuttered, unable to properly compose himself.

But Taiga didn't seem to mind, the corner of his lips curled into a slight smile as he watched the surgeon's awkward display.

"... You need to rest," Hiiro places both his hands on Taiga's shoulders as he attempts to sit up, but a firm grasp wraps around Hiiro's wrist.

"I can handle myself," lightly, he pushes Hiiro's arm away, yet allowing the other one to stay.

He continued, "I was worried about you, you know," he could feel Hiiro's touch soften as he spoke.

"You didn't have a reason to worry."

"I had every reason to. I... Thought you were serious about it, about staying on his side."

Hiiro didn't have an answer, he didn't know what else to say. Maybe if things were different, he would've...

But things weren't different, things were the way they were now.

"I thought it would be better for me... But all he really did was lead me down a path that wasn't meant for me. I wouldn't be able to bring Saki's smile back if I worked with the enemy."

"But... Wouldn't she be deleted then...?"

"I'll find another way to bring her smile back," Hiiro exhaled a sigh, his eyes trickling downward. His expression, thoughtful as he examined the silk sheets of the hospital bed, distracting himself from feeling too somber. "For now," he turns his attention back to Taiga, "I'll look towards the future that I'll pave for myself."

"... I'm sorry I couldn't save her. I just wish I could've done something more, then you wouldn't be so alone..."

"It's not your fault," Hiiro insisted, but was promptly cut off.

"It is. I couldn't stop... I couldn't stop Graphite all those years ago, and now..."

"And now, I'm here to tell you that you don't have to shoulder all this responsibility on your own."

"... I just..." There were no other words for Hanaya Taiga to say anymore.

"You don't need to bear this pain on your own. To be by your side is where I'd rather be now than to be on the wrong path, grasping at something that's out of reach."

_You've always said that you were the only Kamen Rider that anyone ever needed, but you're wrong. This pain is ours to bear, so please, let me fight by your side, so we won't be alone anymore._


End file.
